The Birds Fly Upward

Mark Barrott is back within the frames of this webzine, doing his regular public service of opening a portal between this northerly island and his southerly paradise. His Sketches From an Island records — now surely a series — are psychic field recordings smuggled amongst Balearic tempos and actual field recordings. They chart a sense of place (purely imagined in my case), like folk records: often hyper local in focus but revealing of a larger, more universal feeling.

Where previous records have seemed to look at the world and wonder why it rushes past so much beauty. This one’s been born into trouble. This one seems to be a sign-post to sanctuary. A liquid distillation of calm, a vital elixir to draw in the true believers.

Der Stern, der nie vergeht emerges in the last third of the album, all polyrhythmic North African drums and gentle, drifting melodies. Like a magical excursion through Motorik. A Motorik from a land without Autobahns where the road (and the rhythm) is formed both by the irregular movements of wildlife and the lost wandering of man.

Der Stern, der nie vergeht is taken from Mark Barrott’s new album Sketches From an Island 2. It came out on his label International Feel a few weeks ago and it’s (currently) still in stock on vinyl at Juno.